Friday night: Arrive at Hampton Inn in Baltimore and greeted by a cardboard cutout of the president-to-be himself.

Saturday -- Viewed the streets of D.C. and saw vendors selling all things "Baracka,'' as my barber calls him. I was a human ATM picking up keepsakes for family and friends.

Sunday -- Raised the ire of D.C. police just because I was trying to get a better vantage point to shoot a pix of the White House. Yes, I should have assumed that climbing the bleachers abutting the fence was a no-no. My bad.

Hancock and I did fall into this cigar tavern called Shelly's (no relation, we think, to our Fox 61 pal Shelly Sindland!) The salmon over rice and beans was to die for. Hancock did indeed pay for the meal. (Again, this is not a misprint!.)

Monday -- We get word that there are unclaimed free inauguration tickets that will be handed out at Sen. Dodd's office. After a brief discussion about whether we had a conflict, it was decided that we did not. I had to wait in line like everybody else -- first come, first serve.

After securing the tixs, I slip down to the 3rd floor in the Senate building where CT folks were getting their party on at a reception hosted by the state Congressional delegation. A Who's Who of prominent Nutmeggers had a blast.

Tuesday -- Get no sleep and leave for Metro at 3 a.m. You know the rest. Long lines, delayed trains, malfunctioning escalators, clueless help on the ground. I didn't make it to the mall, but instead, heard the event from the parade route on Pennyslvania Ave. Prior to getting there, I was at a Third Street checkpoint for more than 3 hours.

Folks were getting agitated, but creative, in the close quarters. Whenever the line would move, the throng there would start singing the theme song from the old Jefferson's sitcom:

"Hey, Hey, we're moving on up ...''

When they tired of that song and felt another line surge, the Beattles' "Lean on Me'' became a favorite. One guy there was actually trying to lead a chant of: "UConn ......Huskies." The D.C. folks weren't feeling that.

Funniest bit in a not-so-funny Tuesday was the irritable woman standing beside me in a growing Third Street throng at a security gate.

"Is that a camera in your pocket ... or are you just glad to see me,'' the indignant woman said loudly to no one in particular. The guy behind her, camera in hand, asked if she was referring to him.